Maintenance & Restoration

NASA42 · 03-20-2018, 12:49 PM

Debbie......

You're getting some interesting feedback thus far. Allow me to add:
---> I have a 2016 Santa Fe V6 (Purchased as a "demonstrator" with 18,000 miles). It was sold me as a "certified" car. The warranty completes the new car coverage period....meaning 100,000 miles on the engine and driveline.
---> I tow a 17' Casita. Last year, I did a bit over 11,000 miles in tow mode (PA to California & back, PA to FL and back, PA to Bar Harbor, Maine and back....plus short trips). It is not "terribly" powerful, but it is certainly satisfactory. I average about 23-24 mpg solo, and about 14-16 when towing, depending on the wind and terrain. It has been totally trouble free on the road. I do not tow in "eco" transmission setting.
---> I use a WDH to equalize the weight of the hitch to all 4 wheels of the All Wheel Drive Santa Fe, which does quite well with that.
---> The third row of seats remains folded into the rear floor, freeing space behind the 2nd row for the two bins I use to store various RVing materials.
---> I find it a comfortable vehicle, and love the back up camera's aid to hitching up!
---> My Hyundai dealer has an excellent reputation for warranty service....and is one of the reasons I selected this dealer.

As a retiree, I am intent on getting the most RVing benefit from my money, and the Hyundai has certainly done that. I have no hesitation recommending it to others. One can make really good deals on their certified used.....and Consumer Reports rates them as quite good in reliability.

Hope to meet you somewhere down the road.

Frank

Keith2000 · 03-20-2018, 01:24 PM

I can't speak to towing, but we drove a rental SF about 1500 miles on a family vacation and we all thought it quite comfortable. The back seats reclined and slid back and forth a bit. The front seats were just plain comfortable. We even popped up the far back seats a couple fo times as we juggled other family members. If I were in the market for an SUV it would be on my list. I liked driving it, even full with family and luggage.

thrifty bill · 03-20-2018, 02:20 PM

Not all used trucks are junk. I bought my truck when it was five years old but only had 12,000 miles on it. I’ve since put another 80,000 miles on it in three years of ownership. I paid less than half of what the seller bought it for new. It’s not like I swooped in and grabbed it either. It had been for sale for a month with terrible pictures in a dark barn. I had the seller roll it outside and send me better pictures, as it was a four hour drive.

We agreed on a price, I had him take it the closest Ford dealer where I paid for an inspection. At that point I did launch! I was afraid the much better pictures would end up in the ad.

I also bought a nice ARE camper top, original price was over $2,000. Paid $350. Realize caps only fit very specific trucks so used ones can be a great bargain!

My last new vehicle was 1981, bought it when I was broke. Go figure, broke person buying new stuff. Now I can afford new and I buy used....

workhorsed · 03-20-2018, 04:53 PM

I'm fairly sure that possibly your sales person is misleading you about the V8 in a Santa Fe. The Genesis luxury sedan/coupe does have a very nice V8, but I'm very sure it is not available in any of their other models. If the sales people are suggesting otherwise I'd consider a different dealership. That said, the Hyundai V6's are very good engines, stout and reliable. Considering the SF's volume of sales, parts should not be an issue for this very popular vehicle.

Yes that third row seat is a joke!! Only fit for toddlers, but difficult to install/extract them! Good luck with your search and future adventures.

Stevieboy · 03-20-2018, 05:38 PM

I have a Santa Fe. Before that I had a Tuscon that I loved. But the Santa Fe’s don’t have the towing capacity and hitch capacity to tow my new 17’ Casita Spirit Deluxe. I’m looking at a Honda Pilot AWD with 5000# towing capacity. And the back seat folds down flat which I want so I can sleep in the back.

Ridenfun · 03-20-2018, 08:15 PM

Another option to the various SUV's is perhaps the newer range of midsize trucks, such as Ford Rangerm Chev Colorado, etc,available as 4 doors, or also even the Honda Ridgeline.

NASA42 · 03-21-2018, 09:11 AM

Steve....

There are TWO Santa Fe models. The Santa Fe Sport is a 4-cylinder (some with a turbo), but doesn't have a 5000-lb tow capacity. The Santa Fe V6 is larger and is rated to tow 5000 lbs (and 17' Casita models, as mine does).

Correct information matters.

Frank

Debbie in Florida · 03-21-2018, 03:14 PM

Thanks to those of you who corrected my mistake...it was a V6 --- not dealer misinformation but an error on my part.

Thanks for all the great feedback. It seems the Sante Fe might suit my needs if I can get a good price, but I am still researching so any additional feedback is most welcome. I am learning more all the time, which means more questions to post, but I want to keep digesting what I am learning before I welcome more.

Must admit, I really liked the Sante Fe when I drove it. Just want to be sure it will suit needs as a TV. I have been driving a Subaru and they will come out with an new SUV rated for 5,000 towning in the summer, but I am sure it will be top dollar.

What other features should I be looking for in a TV with regard to torque, horsepower and towing packages? (Must admit I do not understand the former two but will be cracking open my copy of "Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide" shortlly to get start to understand cars better! It all an education. Getting a travel trailer is much more complicated then I ever imagined. )

Thanks for all your help. Hope to meet you on the road as well Frank, and all of you.

Stevieboy · 03-21-2018, 05:27 PM

Good on the 5000 # santa fe towing cap. I like the rear seat fold down flat and level, with only small gaps, of the Honda Pilot AWD.

Pat Thomson · 03-21-2018, 07:32 PM

We tow our 1979 jubilee with our 2014 Santa Fe XL with no problems. Yes we got the tow package and we use the tekonsha wireless brake controller. Yes you get the third row seats whether you want them or not. We have had them up exactly once. We got the 2014 to replace our 2002 Santa Fe, which lasted for 12 years and if we weren't towing we would probably still be running it.

Only thing - the front seats are a better fit for those with a posterior a little smaller than mine....

grimjed · 03-21-2018, 07:56 PM

Hello Debbie. If you choose the Santa Fe you need to add a Class 3 hitch and a 7 pin connector with brake controller. The brake controller is required if you want to tow up to 5000 pounds with the Santa Fe. The hitch "can" be a factory option that the dealership can add but the 7 pin connector with brake controller is not. You'll need to get a hitch specialist to install the seven pin connector and brake controller. As far as brake controllers go I like the Tekonsha Prodigy P3. I prefer it because it applies a proportional amount of braking to your trailer's brakes rather than a delayed braking action adjustable by settings on the brake controller itself. When towing I just found it "felt" better.

For towing I recommend that you choose the AWD version over the FWD. Occasionally you want to send power to the rears wheels, especially when going up hill. A transmission cooler is standard equipment in all models so nothing to worry about there.

You also want to look at the GVWR. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Taking this number and subtracting Curb Weight will give you an idea about how much cargo weight the Santa Fe can handle. It's about 1450 pounds for the AWD models. It's fine for Hyundai to say that the Santa Fe tows 5000 pounds but in reality you must consider that up to about 500 pounds can be placed on the tow hitch (called tongue weight) and the rest of the weight used for passengers and cargo. If you're camping, you'll find you can run out of weight carrying capacity quickly especially if you are carrying 4 or more passengers. You need to be aware of how much weight is packed behind the rear wheels of the tow vehicle. This counts against the tongue weight limit.

The Santa Fe has sufficient torque and horsepower to suit your towing needs so I don't think you have to focus on those numbers.

We purchased a former daily rental with 20,000 miles on it. We saved quite a bit of money compared to the new price. It's not an option everyone is comfortable with, but to me it was well worth the savings.

Good luck with your research. You're doing the right thing by asking questions.

Keith2000 · 03-23-2018, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grimjed

The Santa Fe has sufficient torque and horsepower to suit your towing needs so I don't think you have to focus on those numbers.

You can get quite caught up in torque and horsepower ratings, but I think grimjed has the right end of the stick here. I wouldn't sweat those numbers since the vehicle you are looking at will be sufficient.

When we looked at buying our TV we went to carmax and tested all the recent vehicles in the class we were looking at. The test consisted of: what feels most comfortable to sit in. Really, any of them would have had enough capacity and functionality to do what we needed, the real distinguishing feature was personal comfort.

rmullinsbc · 04-02-2018, 05:41 PM

Debbie you are doing your research and that is fantastic. Many people do not. We have just returned from a 5600 mile trip with our 2015 Santa Fe Sport 2.0 Litre Turbo AWD and we were pulling an Escape 17B trailer (loaded around 3300 pounds). We travelled from southern British Columbia to southern Arizona and back. The Santa Fe did an 'above expectations' job and the fuel mileage was great, about 16 miles to the gallon average. However, on the hills, although we were able to maintain highway speeds, I knew that the turbo was screaming and we were operating all systems on the ragged upper edge. It was always in the back of my mind... what if the turbo blows a gasket... or the transmission fails. When we got home I visited with my trusted non-Hyundai mechanic and he just shook his head and wondered... with luck like that... maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. His response confirmed that we were pushing our luck (and the Santa Fe) and we have already started the search for a replacement TV that will give us a bit more towing head-room. Basically the Hyundai products are built to a price point and are meant to drive in style to the grocery store or grandma's house, on paved, smooth roads with limited hills and very light loads. They are not built to be off-road or recreational tow vehicles. If you have a problem that the warranty should cover...I'm sure that Hyundai will remind you of this fact.

Debbie in Florida · 04-13-2018, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmullinsbc

Debbie you are doing your research and that is fantastic. Many people do not. We have just returned from a 5600 mile trip with our 2015 Santa Fe Sport 2.0 Litre Turbo AWD and we were pulling an Escape 17B trailer (loaded around 3300 pounds). We travelled from southern British Columbia to southern Arizona and back. The Santa Fe did an 'above expectations' job and the fuel mileage was great, about 16 miles to the gallon average. However, on the hills, although we were able to maintain highway speeds, I knew that the turbo was screaming and we were operating all systems on the ragged upper edge. It was always in the back of my mind... what if the turbo blows a gasket... or the transmission fails. When we got home I visited with my trusted non-Hyundai mechanic and he just shook his head and wondered... with luck like that... maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. His response confirmed that we were pushing our luck (and the Santa Fe) and we have already started the search for a replacement TV that will give us a bit more towing head-room. Basically the Hyundai products are built to a price point and are meant to drive in style to the grocery store or grandma's house, on paved, smooth roads with limited hills and very light loads. They are not built to be off-road or recreational tow vehicles. If you have a problem that the warranty should cover...I'm sure that Hyundai will remind you of this fact.

Hi Ron. Thanks for your advice. Noticed you had a Sante Fe Sport. I think that is rated for 3,500 pounds. Would you confirm if that is the case? I did like the Sante Fe and am still considering it. I am now looking at the Ford Explorer and the Toyota Highlander. I will explorer a couple of other brands and make a decision. What is your research finding? Any recommendations from you or your trusted mechanic?

rmullinsbc · 04-13-2018, 02:11 PM

Hi Debbie. We have made a TV change from the Santa Fe to a Nissan Frontier pickup. When I crunched the numbers on the Santa Fe (Sport) although it would 'pull' our trailer, it was well beyond safety limits in all other categories. The Nissan, although not exceptional in the critical areas of GVWR and GCVWR is much more suited for towing and will serve our purpose better. I do not expect to get as good gas mileage... but that is the price we are willing to pay for the safety margin. I am sure that either the Ford Explorer or the Toyota Highlander will do an adequate job for you. There is an excellent You Tube video that sure helped me make sense of all the 'numbers'. Here is the url.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwFLOBrADBs&t=439s

Hope this helps.

Debbie in Florida · 04-23-2018, 10:23 AM

Hi All, Thanks for all the new advice. I have decided to look into the Pilot as a result of the endorsements! I am amazed the the basic Ford Explorer and Santa Fe, with AWD and factory installed tow packages are coming in at about the same price, about 31,000 without the added tax, title, tags and probably the dealer charge (which I will not have on the Explorer since it is a friends and family purchase). I have a few other things to add to my list of things to look at based on this thread.

I am finding that a 7-pin connector is not part of the deal on these cars and have to be added. (Maybe the Explorer had it, I forget). That caused me some concerns. I had started a second thread on this to learn more about the 7-pin and got lots of great advice.

So, Pilot next. Might check the Sorento but then will stop...too much too look at. Love the suggestion of going to CarMax was it and driving them all one after the other! Might try that.

Thank you and keep any further advice coming. It is invaluable.

nancyrnfit · 06-17-2018, 06:25 PM

Debbie,

you may have already made your purchase, but I will weigh in.
I currently tow my 16 foot Scamp, loaded at about 2300 lbs., with my 2015 Honda Pilot AWD.

I bought it used (had about 13,000 miles on it), and it was "tow ready" with the 7 pin adaptor and the transmission cooler.

On occasion, we tow with my husband's Ford F250 Diesel...but it is SO LOUD,
and is just not comfortable for long trips.

I originally traded my Honda CRV for a used Toyota Sienna van (really wanted a Pilot, but just didn't feel I could afford it at the time).
The Sienna towed the Scamp just fine.

But, I just wasn't really satisfied with it, so a couple of years later, I was in a better position to afford a Pilot-VERY HAPPY with it!

As for the extra seats, we vacation with 2 sets of 2 couples, so it is nice for us to all be in the same car at times, when we are tooling around, or going to the trailhead.

Over the years, I have bought mostly used cars (not more than a couple years old, so they still are under warranty) and have been very satisfied.

I have also bought a few new cars, and have been happy with them as well.
And that is that!

NASA42 · 06-18-2018, 06:41 AM

Debbie.....

As you are discovering, many in our Casita clan are willing to share their experiences, insights (and occasionally their brand loyalties) with others.

I think you have been wise to cast your search widely. After all, your ultimate success will be to find the best price, with a satisfactory warranty, for a vehicle with the correct tow rating....completely equipped. That is why you always should ask for a price with the 7-pin connector and hitch receiver, and brake package installed. If they won't knowledgably discuss that, it's probably wise to move to another dealer (even if the same brand).

Although I'm well pleased with the deal I received (and service I'm receiving from the vehicle) with my Hyundai Santa Fe.....I had to get the pricing on hitch, 7-pin, and brake package before I'd buy.

Still hope to meet you somewhere down the road.

Frank

trainman · 07-25-2018, 10:13 AM

All I can say about Santa Fe is we visit there twice a year and it is one of my favorite railroads to model. Now you tell me they have a vehicle by that name, what will they think of next.

trainman

NASA42 · 07-25-2018, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trainman

All I can say about Santa Fe is we visit there twice a year and it is one of my favorite railroads to model. Now you tell me they have a vehicle by that name, what will they think of next.

trainman

John.....

Mmmmh! Let me guess....you don't like to handle the switches?

Frank